Pathogenicity of Acanthamoeba and a Corynebacterium in the rat cornea.
Acanthamoeba keratitis is a sight-threatening disease that is difficult to treat. The development of an animal model is necessary for many of the studies required to improve visual outcome in human patients. A rat model is proposed that is dependent on coinoculation of amebae and corynebacteria into the corneal stroma. The infective dose was determined for a virulent Acanthamoeba isolate and was used to screen 17 other isolates, including 7 from the human cornea. A total of 6 were infective in the rat cornea. The model should be useful for controlled in vivo studies of this intractable condition.
Badenoch
P R
PR
Department of Ophthalmology, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, South Australia.
Johnson
A M
AM
Christy
P E
PE
Coster
D J
DJ
D000048:Acanthamoeba / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D015823:Acanthamoeba Keratitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D003315:Cornea / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003352:Corynebacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D003354:Corynebacterium Infections / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D015818:Eye Infections, Bacterial / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D051381:Rats; D014774:Virulence